Countdown to Book Release

It's 30 days to my launch party for Cleopatra's Moon.

Twenty-six days before the official release date.

Almost 800 from the day editor extraordinaire Cheryl Klein (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic) purchased it.

And nearly 1,500 days since I began writing it (thanks to good friends Elizabeth O. Dulemba, Diane Capriola and Liz Conrad who encouraged me to give it a shot).

Recently, several events have made the actual release of the book seem shockingly close:

-  An excerpt from the audiobook, by Oasis Audio, was recently posted on Youtube: http://tinyurl.com/3j9mcgx  (The audiobook also releases August 1)

-  An interview with yours truly, was also recently posted on Youtube via Oasis Audio: http://tinyurl.com/3shvr8v

-  A book in hand ( I have one copy!)

- And plans for an actual party with my good friends at the best
   children's bookstore in Atlanta: Little Shop of  Stories.

The "partay" is on Friday, August 5th at 7:00 p.m. Elizabeth thinks we should make it a toga party. Waddaya think?

"I demand you make this a party for the ages!"

Seriously, I need suggestions for making the event memorable, especially since "Drag Queen Cleo" has taken to staring me down over it.

She demands a party even better than the one she gave Marc Antony where she drank a pearl. I keep telling her that there will be no imbibing of precious stones but she just laughs knowingly.

I may invite a gladiator but I don't want to make any promises. ("And, no, Drag Queen Cleo, there will be no naked wrestling!" Geez!)

You see what I'm up against? Any ideas you have to get her off my back...er, I mean, to help me make my launch party lots o'fun will be very much appreciated.

Ra, Riordan and Keeping Kids Reading

Today at 1:16 pm is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Perfect timing too because I'm helping to run Camp Kane at the most awesome bookstore, Little Shop of Stories in Decatur. Camp Kane is based on Rick Riordan's Kane Chronicles, his series based on Egyptian mythology.

First, can I just say that  Riordan is a GENIUS? I mean, we've got almost thirty kids, most of whom have ready every one of his mythology-based, action-adventure series (now up to three series for a total of seven books). Plus, they can hardly wait for the release of the next one.

Most of Little Shop's camps fill up quickly but the Riordan-based camps fill up within minutes.

Because of the solstice, we've been talking a lot about Ra (or Re or Atum), the Egyptian sun god. Every day I tell stories based on the myths and every day I remind the kids that they must "put away their logic." None of the Egyptian myths will make sense if you try to apply logic or reason to them (probably true for most myths, but even more so here).

So, you have creation stories that say Ra came out of the the waters of "nothing"--Nun. But how can something be nothing and still be waters?

How can Ra be the creator god of all but still be tricked by Isis? How can Hathor be both a cow AND a lioness depending on her mood? How can you need your body to live in the afterlife but then have your vital organs across the room?

The Egyptians wouldn't have seen any problem with the multitude of contradictions within their stories. That's what makes them so much fun.

This morning I told the story of Ra's rage over human betrayal. Later, I'll tell the story of how Isis crafted an evil snake in order to trick Ra into revealing his secret name. And then the best part? We are having a reptile wrangler come with his critters later this afternoon. We will meet Sobek the crocodile and hiss back at Apophis the destroyer snake. Fun!

Mummies, Coffins and Kids

At Egypt camp last week, we quieted 33 loud and rambunctious kids—aged 9-13—everyday with a single phrase: “Let me tell you a story.” Even the older ones, those on the cusp of being “way too cool” for such things, stopped to listen.

My friend Diane Capriola, awesome owner of LITTLE SHOP OF STORIES in Decatur, and I ran the camp based on Rick Riordan’s latest book, THE RED PYRAMID.

It was easy to make the campers shiver with delight at the “gross” details of how organs and brains were removed for mummification, but they grew almost breathless when I shared ancients stories.

After I finished the tale of a mummy who sat up in his coffin to challenge a book-stealing prince to a Senet game, one normally over-active boy looked at me with wide eyes and asked:

“Did that really happen?”

I didn’t know how to respond at first. “What do you think?” I finally asked as gently as I could. He smiled sheepishly, “No, it was just a story.”

Yet, for a moment anyway, his absorption was so deep that it seemed not only reasonable, but also possible that a 4,000 year-old mummy COULD HAVE sat up and challenged someone to a board game. By the time he “came back” into his rational self, he could laugh, along with his friends at the absurdity of it.

Still, that moment perfectly captured why writing for children is so awesome. Kids have not yet lost the wonder and joy that comes with getting completely absorbed in other worlds and/or other times. My only regret is that we ran out of time and I didn't get to tell them the story of the traveler and the giant snake monster. Or of the wax crocodile that could come to life at his master's bidding. Or of the...

Hmmm, it's a good thing I've written a book about all those ancient tales. Now if only I could sell it!